The Drowning City (The Necromancer Chronicles) by Amanda Downum (2009)

Urban fantasy - in a city you've never known and will never want to. 

Necromancer and spy Isylt Iskaldur is fomenting revolution in the tactically important city of Symir as the monsoon approaches. Ghosts, children, lords, magicians and revolutionaries all play a part in this gritty story of Isylt’s seduction and rejection. An outstanding first entry in a series I look forward to continuing.

Ghost Story (Dresden Files, No. 13) by Jim Butcher (2011)

I haven’t followed this series at all, although I enjoyed the first couple of novels and the tv show. Harry Dresden is a hard-boiled, smart-ass detective magician sorcerer who solves mysteries and saves the world. Over and over.  I found that wasn’t a handicap on this volume I picked up at the library on a whim. Butcher does an excellent job of continuing a story and adding in the information a new or returning reader needs.

Dresden is a memorable character – as likely to stumble into a solution as to solve it with intellect. And over the years, he’s made lots of friends and at least as many enemies. As the story opens, he’s made a grave mistake (sorry, Butcher’s gotten to me) and has to solve the mystery of his own murder – incorporeally. 

There was much good back story here, non-stop action loaded with emotional implications, soul searching and discovery.

Not the most profound fiction I’ll ever read, but not a waste of an afternoon, sunny or rainy. 

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (2011)

Wow. And wow again. Deathless explores the biggest ideas of all.

Horror and bright hope twine together in this powerful saga of Death and love.   Valente’s prose is sonorous, yet not ponderous, and certainly not oblivious to the profane.

Her tremendously strong female main character experiences the deepest issues of life. With the Slavic folklore of her family of marriage as the scaffold, Valente deftly handles themes of duality including power, mastery, marriage, love and death.
There is literally so much to talk about in this wonderful book that I'm rendered speechless.  When I read it again, perhaps I'll be able to pull my chin off the floor and say something coherent.